Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh

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Bilaspur district
—  District of Himachal Pradesh  —
Location of Bilaspur district in Himachal Pradesh
Country India
State Himachal Pradesh
Headquarters Bilaspur, Himachal Pradesh
Area
 • Total 1,167 km2 (451 sq mi)
Population (2011)
 • Total 382,056
 • Density Bad rounding here330/km2 (Bad rounding here850/sq mi)
Website Official website

Bilaspur is a district of Himachal Pradesh state, India. It contains the manmade Govind Sagar Lake on the Sutlej River which acts as the reservoir for the Bhakra and Nangal Dam project. The road bridge on this lake at Kandraur is highest of its kind in Asia. Its headquarters are in the town of Bilaspur. The district has an area of 1,167 km2, and a population of 382,056 (2011 census). As of 2011 it is the third least populous district of Himachal Pradesh (out of 12), after Lahul and Spiti and Kinnaur.[1]


Contents

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[edit] History

Princely flag of Bilaspur
File:Bilaspur State Insignia
Bilaspur State Insignia

The area that is now Bilaspur District was formerly known as Kahlur, a princely state of British India. The ruler acceded to the Government of India on 12 October 1948, and Bilaspur was made an Indian state under a chief commissioner. The state of Bilaspur was merged with Himachal Pradesh on 1 July 1954, and became Bilaspur District.

Bilaspur was the capital of a state founded in the 7th century, and known as Kahlur after its earlier capital, or as Bilaspur after its later capital. The ruling dynasty were Chandela Rajputs, who claimed descent from the rulers of Chanderi in present-day Madhya Pradesh. The town of Bilaspur was founded in 1663. The state later became a princely state of British India, and was under the authority of the British province of Punjab.

On May 13, 1665, Guru Tegh Bahadur went to Bilaspur to attend the mourning for Raja Dip Chand of Bilaspur. The Dowager Rani Champa of Bilaspur offered to give the Guru a piece of land in her state. The Guru bought the site on payment of Rs 500 (Five Hundred Ruppees). The land consisted of the villages of Lodhipur, Mianpur and Sahota. Here on the mound of Makhowal, Guru Tegh Bahadur raised a new habitation. The ground was broken on June 19, 1665, by Baba Gurditta Randhawa. The new village was named after the Guru's mother, Nanaki. Chakk Nanaki later became famous as Anandpur Sahib.

In 1932 state was made part of the newly created Punjab States Agency, and in 1936 the Punjab Hill States Agency was separated from the Punjab States Agency. India became independent in 1947, and on October 12, 1948 the ruler, HH Raja Sir Anand Chand, acceded to the Government of India. Bilaspur became a separate state of India under a chief commissioner, and on July 1, 1954 Bilaspur state was made a district of Himachal Pradesh state by an act of the Indian Parliament. The historic town was submerged in 1954 when the Sutlej River was dammed to create the Govind Sagar, and a new town was built upslope of the old.

Most of the Rajputs in Bilaspur are chandias, that is they belong to different branches of the ruling family. These families are numerous, and all enjoyed jagir pensions from state amounting in aggregate to Rs. 40,000 a year in 1933. They are called 'the Mian families', and the chief names are: Ajmerchandia, Kaliyanchandia, Tarahandia and Sultanchandia.[2]


[edit] Administration

Administratively, the district is divided into three tehsils, Ghumarwin, Bilaspur Sadar, and Jhandutta. Jhandutta was created out of Ghumarwin in January 1998. Naina Devi is a sub-tehsil of Bilaspur Sadar, and was created in January 1980.

[edit] Geography

Bilaspur has a hilly terrain.Whole district is situated in shivalik range of lower himalayas. It is surrounded by hills on all sides.In south and west,it is bordered by Punjab.Summers are hot and winters are cold, with fog along banks of river satluj. Rainy season lasts from early July to mid september. Summer are hottest in month of May and June.

[edit] Demographics

According to the 2011 census Bilaspur district, Himachal Pradesh has a population of 382,056,[1] roughly equal to the nation of Maldives.[3] This gives it a ranking of 562nd in India (out of a total of 640).[1] The district has a population density of 327 inhabitants per square kilometre (850 /sq mi).[1] Its population growth rate over the decade 2001-2011 was 12.08%.[1] Bilaspur has a sex ratio of 981 females for every 1000 males,[1] and a literacy rate of 85.67%.[1] Rajputs and Gujjars are dominates community of bilaspur . Bilaspuri is primary language spoken by people. Hindi is also widely understood. Bilaspuri also Known as Kahluri belongs to Western Pahari languages and mostly unintelligible for non-Pahari speaker. Bilaspuri is 95% mutually intelligible with Mandyali and mostly 80% or more with other members of Western Pahadi.[4]

[edit] Tourist Attraction

Bilaspur has most of catchment area of GovindSagar Lake formed by Bhakra dam on satluj river. Lake is full after rainy season, and is a good place for water sports.one can do kayaking, motorboating and sailing among other things. Fort of bahadurgarh was fort of kings of bilaspur. Bridge at Kandraour on satluj river was once highest bridge in Asia. Bandla hill is also famous for paragliding.

[edit] References

  1. ^ a b c d e f g "District Census 2011". Census2011.co.in. 2011. Retrieved 30 September 2011. 
  2. ^ History of the PUNJAB Hill States,Volume 2, J. Hutchinson and J.Ph. Vogel, P - 513, 1933, by Superintendent, Government Printing, Lahore, Punjab
  3. ^ US Directorate of Intelligence. "Country Comparison: Population". Retrieved 1 October 2011. "Maldives 394,999 July 2011 est." 
  4. ^ http://www.ethnologue.org/show_language.asp?code=kfs

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 22°23′N 82°08′E / 22.383°N 82.133°E / 22.383; 82.133